Fire burning away from Julian

JULIAN —— A brush fire north of Julian blackened 525 acres and
possibly burned four buildings Tuesday, but was moving away from
the town, California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection
officials said.

The Volcan fire started at 11:28 a.m. near Wynola and Farmers
roads in the Volcan Mountain area, about two miles north of Julian.
The blaze was 15 percent contained as of 7 p.m., CDF spokeswoman
Roxanne Provaznik said.

Firefighter Philip Ashcraft said it was unclear if the four
buildings that were possibly burned were homes, sheds or other
outbuildings. Provaznik said the fire remained a threat to some
isolated cabins and buildings in the Volcan Mountain area but no
evacuations were underway.

The fire was moving northeast, in a rural area toward land
burned by the Pines fire, Ashcraft said.

A firefighter suffered a minor injury while fighting the fire,
Provaznik said. She said there was no estimation on when the fire
would be fully contained.

The blaze created a huge smoke plume that was visible across
much of San Diego County on Tuesday afternoon. Three hundred
firefighters, five helicopters, five air tankers, four bulldozers,
15 hand crews and four water tenders were struggling in heat and
rugged mountain terrain to try to contain the flames.

CDF firefighters, with help from U.S. Forest Service crews and
volunteer fire department, were going to be battling the fire
overnight, Provaznik said.